When it comes to making a public commitment to taming lawless driving and making streets safe for biking, police departments in major west coast cities are starting to leave Ray Kelly’s NYPD in their wake.

The chief’s message isn’t complicated. "We all need to co-exist," and
motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists need to respect each other’s
rights and safety, he says. He’s working toward fostering that goal
through education and establishing a liaison to the cycling community.

Yes, what we’re seeing in L.A. and San Francisco so far is largely symbolic, but you’ve got to start somewhere, and advocates in both cities say they’re encouraged by the sincerity of these first steps from police.

Maybe police would see things differently if they biked down Adams Street to the Brooklyn Bridge, negotiating all the double-parked cars and impatient motorists. So here’s a standing invitation to Commissioner Ray Kelly, Chief of Patrol James Hall, and traffic chief James Tuller: Come for a ride, see what it’s like to bike the streets of New York.